


the reflection has changed a bit

by ElasticElla



Category: The Bold Type
Genre: Background Relationships, F/F, Future Fic, Post Episode: s01e05 No Feminism in the Champagne Room
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-06
Updated: 2017-08-06
Packaged: 2018-12-11 16:57:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11718594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElasticElla/pseuds/ElasticElla
Summary: Adena is gone for six months.But today, she's coming back.





	the reflection has changed a bit

Adena is gone for six months. There’s exactly one promotion (Sutton), two dramatic haircuts and dye-jobs (her and Jane), three vague tweets that made the girls take her out for ice cream, four relationship changes (Sutton and Richard split, Jane and Pinstripe split, she had a short fling with a ballplayer named Ginny, and Sutton and Alex started dating), five times she had conversations with her parents without accidentally spilling that she’s a lesbian via bad joke or anecdote, and six hand written letters that Kat never sent to Adena. 

It wasn’t like they didn’t talk at all during the six months. There were a few emails, and twitter messages, and mostly texts. There was one skype call, in the beginning when Adena was still trying to work things out with Coco. It got way too real too fast, and they both agreed to written communication after that. (But god, did Adena look gorgeous sitting on her porch, soft angelic light making her glow.)

In September, Coco and Adena were done for good. Kat was ready to offer Adena a room- well, her room to be precise- whatever she needed to come back. There was an idle fantasy of them getting married so Adena wouldn’t have to worry as much about crossing country lines and okay fine, Kat was having too much fun with the Scarlet wedding issue. And then Adena was offered a spot in the Parisian Winter Art Festival and Kat’s hopes were dashed. Jane and Sutton let her mope for a week before taking her out, and then Jane was interviewing Ginny Baker and she got to meet her, and sometime around then she realized she wasn’t heartsick anymore and asked Ginny out. (Honestly, she expected a polite rejection and a joke about not all girls that've played softball.)

They had fun until Ginny had to return to the west coast, and Kat was good. Being single was a lot better now that there weren’t consistently disappointing male one night stands in her life. She still missed Adena, sharply so sometimes when they messaged, but it doesn’t feel like the end anymore. There isn’t a pressing need to be with her anymore, just desire. (God, the things her parents would say if they could psychoanalyze her right now.)

The new year came and went, and then Adena told her she’d be back in February. (Kat would swear a month never moved so slow.)

Which brings her to today, waiting at JFK with a cheesy sign and smile. She watches the announcement board, sees Adena’s flight go from on time to landed, her stomach spinning faster and faster as people come through customs. 

Adena finally comes through, spots Kat with a grateful smile. She’s an absolute vision in pale gold, sweeps her up in a hug quickly and kisses her cheek. 

“I’m so glad to see you, how was your flight?” Kat asks. 

Adena frowns, looking around, “Can we just go and then talk?” 

“Of course,” Kat says, and they head out to the parking lot. Adena’s walking fast and not talking, and Kat doesn’t like what that could mean, her mind moving too fast.

“Thank you,” Adena says once they’re out of the airport. The sign’s tucked away in Adena’s carry-on and that makes butterflies triple in her stomach. Outside the rain’s coming down softly, and Kat opens up the umbrella Sutton insisted she pack. (There was a _ten_ percent chance of rain.)

“You don’t have to talk about it, you can tell me about Paris,” Kat says. 

Adena laughs softly, stepping under the umbrella with her. “I believe I’ve already told you all tales worth telling.” 

They walk towards the car in silence for a bit, and Kat doesn’t want to assume anything. Adena came back to do art in New York and she doesn’t want to make her feel like she’s only interested in her as a girlfriend. 

“There was a man on the plane,” Adena says. “He was rather rude, I was worried he might follow me.” 

Kat switches the umbrella to her other hand, wrapping an arm around Adena’s slight shoulders. “I’m so sorry.” 

Her eyebrows quirk, and she says, “You don’t need to apologize for another person’s wrong doings.” 

“I know, I still am though.” 

Adena smiles, “I’ve missed you Kat.” 

“I’ve missed you too,” she says, and cursing the timing, she stops to break the moment. “This is the Scarlet car I borrowed.” 

Adena turns to her, and like this the only thing separating them is the damn umbrella. Adena’s warm breath is fogging up the metal stalk, and Kat jerks her gaze up as though she’ll be caught. 

“You haven’t kissed me yet,” Adena says. 

Kat’s eyes go wide, her ears burning. “I didn’t want to presume. You just got back and if you wanna take things slow I want you to know I’ll wait.” 

Adena cocks her head to the side, brings her hands up to rest on Kat’s shoulders. “I don’t want to wait.” 

And the umbrella is lost to a strong gust of wind, Adena kissing her once more. There isn’t any learning this time, only remembrance and recognition. There’s the spot in Adena’s lower back that makes her toes curl when you push on it, and she loves having her lower lip played with. 

The umbrella’s timely departure becomes too apparent though, freezing rain rolling over their skin and soaking their clothes. 

Kat breaks the kiss with a laugh, “As romantic as this is, I’m not getting you sick your first day back. Want to come back to my place?” 

“We could,” Adena says with a coy smile, glancing at the tinted windows. “Or we could go dry off first in the backseat.” 

“That’s a much better idea,” Kat says, nodding and fumbling for the keys to unlock it right away. 

(Hand hitting the steamed up window mid-coitus Kat exclaims, “I’m Rose! You totally have to draw me.” Adena laughs, agrees if Kat will kiss her again. And she does, again and again and again.)

**Author's Note:**

> there are like zero quotable lines from the titanic, but closest that worked is le title  
> this is for the anon who requested kadena + sharing an umbrella au, hope you liked it!  
> come say hi on [tumblr](http://bizeke.tumblr.com/) <3


End file.
